Burn survivor from Chandler strip mall explosion raising money for Arizona Burn Foundation

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — It’s been more than two years since the natural gas explosion at a business in Chandler, which injured four people.

Glenn Jordan was working at an eyeglass store near Ray and Rural roads during that incident in August 2021. The blast was so strong the roof collapsed, causing a fire, and leaving debris scattered around the parking lot. “Recovery was slow. I was in a induced coma for nearly a month,” Jordan said.

He’s had a long recovery and knows he’s lucky to be alive. He’s now choosing to use his positive outlook to help others. “I had severe burns on my back, which kept me from showering by myself, putting on a pair of socks or shoes,” he said.

These days, he chooses to focus on what he can do. “A lot of things you don’t control in that process. But you control your effort and you control your discipline,” he said.

Sunday, Jordan and others will be at the Hub Fitness in Ahwatukee raising money for Raise Your Bar, benefiting the Arizona Burn Foundation and helping burn survivors just like him. “They do tremendous things over the course of the year for burn survivors around the entire state,” Jordan said.

He’s been training for nearly five months to do 2,000 pull-ups in 12 hours. “Overcoming something difficult in your life, once you get past that training for something else isn’t going to be that difficult. You’ve worked hard,” he said.

With each pull-up, he’s thinking of others and how far he’s come. “I’m thinking about people in their early stages of what they’re going through, and I’m going to do a pull-up while they’re trying to walk or use a fork. I know what it’s like I was there,” Jordan said.

The purpose is not only to raise money but also to inspire. “Raise your bar just a little to make yourself achieve things maybe you weren’t sure you could,” Jordan said.

This challenge is Sunday at Hub Fitness, the same gym that raised nearly $5,000 for him and his family during his stay at the Arizona Burn Center. The owner has known Jordan for years and said he’s already inspired him. “I ended up seeing him in the hospital and when I saw him, honestly, I didn’t know he was going to recover from it and to see how far he’s gone and the passion he has to help fundraise for the Burn Foundation is really cool,” Craig Downie said. To donate to Raise Your Bar, visit here.

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